(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to package dyeing systems and, more particularly, to a dye tube spacer for preventing undesirable distortion of a compressed yarn package during dyeing.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In conventional package dyeing, a plurality of yarn packages, each including a yarn winding around a tube, are placed on a spindle having a diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the tube. The yarn packages are then compressed by exerting pressure on the ends of the spindles. The yarn packages are compressed to compensate for variations in package density and to allow more packages to be loaded into the dyeing vessel. However, because the ends of adjacent packages engage one another, the ends of the yarn packages can be distorted. This problem is usually correctable during backwinding when the yarn is inspected, lubricated and rewound on new tubes prior to shipment to the end use customer.
However, recently there has been research directed at producing a dyed yarn package which can be directly shipped to the customer without inspecting, lubricating and rewinding. Numerous technical obstacles must be overcome before such a dyed yarn package becomes practical. These problems include better dyeing control, combined dyeing and lubricating in a single operation and high speed compressible dye tubes. In addition, it would no longer be possible to correct the distortion of the ends of the yarn packages during backwinding when the yarn is inspected, lubricated and rewound on new tubes prior to shipment to the end use customer since this step would be eliminated.
Thus, there remains a need for a new and improved dye tube spacer which allows the yarn packages to be compressed prior to dyeing while, at the same time, prevents distortion of the ends of the yarn packages during compression thereby allowing the package to be shipped directly to the end user without rewinding.